Some shoes speak softly. Others scream. The Skate SK8-Hi Devon, reimagined by Cher Strauberry, does both — a silhouette that commands attention with presence, and holds it with purpose. It’s not just a skate shoe. It’s armor for misfits. A bold-soled badge of individuality. A punk-rooted, pavement-shattering statement built for anyone who’s ever been told they didn’t belong.

Tough on the inside — like Cher herself — this shoe doesn’t conform. It confronts.

WHO IS CHER STRAUBERRY?

If you know the underground, you know Cher Strauberry. A pioneering trans skater, musician, and artist, she’s been carving her name into skateboarding’s historically closed doors for years. Known for co-founding the Unity Skateboarding collective, Cher’s impact is as much cultural as it is physical. She rides hard, speaks loud, and never flinches.

She’s not just a skater — she’s a builder of spaces. A designer of freedom. And when Vans tapped her to collaborate on a shoe, it was never going to be some polished, sanitized product. It had to be personal. Honest. Gritty. Stylish in a way that says “don’t mess with me” and “you’ve never seen anything like this” in the same breath.

THE SHOE: SK8-HI RECONSTRUCTED

Let’s talk details.

The Skate SK8-Hi Devon by Cher Strauberry builds on a legacy silhouette — the original SK8-Hi, beloved for its ankle support, classic side stripe, and durable construction. But here, the blueprint gets rewritten.

• Elevated sole unit with chunkier proportions, giving it a platform edge without sacrificing boardfeel.
• Custom pink-and-black color scheme, a nod to punk zines, queer culture, and Cher’s personal palette.
• Stitched details that reflect the handmade, rough-hewn energy of DIY skate culture.
• Reinforced toe caps and sidewalls to handle real street skating — because this isn’t some boutique-only shoe. It’s made to shred.
• SickStick rubber compound and PopCush footbeds deliver next-gen grip and comfort for serious sessions.

This isn’t fashion pretending to be function. It’s both — unapologetically so.

The result is a shoe that feels like it could survive a stage dive, a stair set, or a street protest. Maybe all in the same day.

ROOTED IN DIY, DRIPPING WITH ATTITUDE

Cher Strauberry’s aesthetic has always leaned hard into the DIY punk scene — part zine culture, part Oakland grit, part femme rebellion. That energy is all over this shoe. From the raw stitching to the slightly messy perfection of the color blocking, everything feels intentional but unpolished, like it came from the hands of someone who actually skates. Someone who doesn’t just talk about community — they build it.

This isn’t about trend-jacking. This is about storytelling. And the story is one of toughness, tenderness, and not waiting for permission.

FOR SKATERS WHO BREAK RULES (AND BARRIERS)

Let’s be real: skateboarding hasn’t always been a welcoming space. Especially not for queer, femme, and trans skaters. But that’s changing — and people like Cher are a huge part of that shift.

The Skate SK8-Hi Devon doesn’t just sit on shelves. It symbolizes entry. It says, you belong here, even if they never said so before. Whether you’re kickflipping or just walking with attitude, the shoe carries a certain charge. It’s as much for the streets as it is for the statement.

It also helps that it’s built to last. Real skaters — not stylists — helped design the underfoot technology. The PopCush insole gives you bounce. The Duracap underlays keep your ollie spot from exploding. The SickStick rubber locks you to your grip tape like you’ve got something to prove.

Because you do.

PUNK ISN’T DEAD — IT’S LACED UP

There’s a reason the Devon hits so hard right now. In an age of hyperpolished drops and collabs that feel more boardroom than skatepark, this shoe brings the raw back. It’s loud. It’s rough around the edges. It looks like it was made in a garage, not a design lab — and that’s the point.

Cher’s version of the SK8-Hi Devon isn’t about chasing the mainstream. It’s about defending the underground. And for those who’ve always looked to skateboarding as a space of rebellion, it’s a welcome homecoming.

A SHOE THAT TELLS A STORY

Every stitch in the SK8-Hi Devon feels personal. That’s rare in a product, even rarer in a skate shoe. But Cher Strauberry has always done things differently. She doesn’t show up to fit in. She shows up to change the game.

This is a shoe for those who fall and get up harder. Who carry bruises like armor. Who grew up watching skate videos on scratched DVDs and never saw anyone who looked like them. Who are now writing the next chapter themselves.

The Hustle

There are a lot of skate shoes out there. Some built for tricks. Some built for clout. But the Skate SK8-Hi Devon by Cher Strauberry? It’s built for truth. For toughness. For trailblazers who are making skateboarding — and the world — more real, more inclusive, more honest.

It doesn’t whisper. It kicks the door in.

Just like Cher.

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